114 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
few pots of either of the two last mentioned will perfume 
j a whole house. The chief thing to be attended to with 
the Neapolitan is never to allow a runner to grow from 
I the plants before or during the flowering season. Though 
very different in point of size, a few different-coloured 
single Wallflowers are also valuable for this purpose; 
plants from seeds sown in August in a sheltered place, 
pricked out in April and potted in September, are best 
for winter blooming. The double ones will not bloom 
well until spring. 
4. Bulbs. —Masses of Winter Aconite, Wood Ane¬ 
mones, especially the white double, Snowdrops, single 
and double, Crocus of all colours, may now be taken up 
l from the border as the shoots appear above the ground; 
j also, Tulips, Narcissus, Jonquils, Dog-tooth Violets, Bulbo- 
| codiums, Hyacinths, &c., if potted in October, placed in a 
| dry place, and covered up with ashes, if there is a small 
I forcing pit, may be brought into bloom about Christmas. 
| If taken after being well rooted to the greenhouse, they 
must not be expected to bloom until February and 
March, if no other heat was given them. Those recom¬ 
mended to be raised out of the border will not stand 
anything like forcing, but must have pretty much their 
own way, though they will be more forward in the house 
than out of doors. Though not bulbs, yet in company 
with them in the greenhouse, may now be placed the 
beautiful tribe of Cyclamens, which, if now pushing, 
should be top-dressed with rich compost. Lachenalias 
and other bulbs will follow in the spring. 
5. Hardy Shrubs. —Many early blooming ones will 
come much earlier in the greenhouse, especially after 
they have been used to it for several seasons, and when 
after blooming they could be protected in a pit for a 
short time while making their wood, plunged in an open 
situation during summer, and placed in a shady cool 
place to give them a rest in the end of September. I 
only mention a few:— Persian Lilacs, hardy Azaleas, 
Deutzia scabra, Weigela rosea, hybrid Rhododendrons, 
and though last, far from least important, strong plants 
of Perpetual, Bourbon, and Tea Roses, to be kept in the 
airiest and warmest part of the house, not forgetting 
even the common China, and some of the varieties, such 
as Cramoise superieure and Abbe Mioland. These, if 
pruned rather closely in July, set in a shady place, kept 
cool and dryish until the buds were breaking, brought 
then into the sun, top-dressed with rich compost, watered 
with something stronger than pure water, soon have 
several strong shoots, and a good many buds upon them 
opening and to open. Jasminum officinale (Common 
white) and Jasminum revolutum (Yellow), if prevented 
flowering and pruned and treated in a similar manner, 
will yield their delicious blossoms during the most of 
the winter. 
6. Half-hardy Plants, such as are generally used 
for bedding, many of these are valuable for winter bloom¬ 
ing. I shall mention the most prominent, keeping the 
bouquet principle in view. Scarlet geraniums of all 
kinds,— Tom Thumb and Punch perhaps the best; 
plants to be propagated in May or June and shifted a 
time or two by October. A few of the fancy kinds, such 
as Jehu, Statuiskii, Yatemanianum yrandijlorum, Nose¬ 
gay, &c.; propagated in May. Also, some sweet-scented 
ones, as Prince of Orange, Citriodora —a sprig of either 
of which give a zest to a nosegay—and Citriodora pur- 
purea, which, in addition to sweet scent, possesses beau¬ 
tifully curled and crisped foliage. Penstemon gentianoides, 
purple, with its varieties of coccinea, red, and alba, white; 
if sown in a hotbed in March, or propagated by cuttings 
in May, planted out and repotted in September, will 
flower for the earliest winter months. Cuphea platy- 
centra, scarlet; striligosa, red and yellow, and others of 
the same genus, and particularly the first named, are 
constant bloomers, and when good specimens are very 
ornamental in winter. I have had plants several year's 
[November 21. 
in the same pot, and summer or winter it is much the 
same. Loam with a little peat, propagated in April or 
May. Heliotrope, the common, is the best for winter, 
and many like its scent; plants propagated by cuttings in 
May, potted and repotted, make nice bushy plants by the 
end of September; should be kept in the warmest part of 
the house. Calceolarias — Rugosa, Caies, yellow, and 
other small flowering kinds, dark or bright, are the best 
for winter, as less heat and light are wanted to expand 
them; Amplexioaulis is useless for tliis purpose ; the 
Kentish Hero, however, I think will be valuable, as even 
now out of doors it is throwing up large strong trusses; 
plants propagated by cuttings in April, planted out in a 
border of rich light soil in June, stopped when showing 
flower, raised and potted in September and October, will 
answer best. Salvia —the best of the bedding ones for 
winter blooming is fulgens, red; there is also a very 
pretty variety with variegated leaves ; plants struck in 
May and June, several times potted, or planted out 
and raised and potted in the beginning of October, will 
bloom for most of the winter. A salmon-coloured kind, 
Involucratum, if propagated by cuttings in April, and 
grown on, not stopping it after the end of July, will 
bloom in autumn and the beginning of winter; the gem 
of them all for brilliancy, splendent, as was shown last 
year, may be had in bloom the most of the winter; and 
Gesneraflora, propagated by cuttings in May or June, 
and successively potted, will produce abundance of its 
scarlet blossoms in February and March. 
7. Various. — Chrysanthemum sinense — the varieties are 
endless, and will cheer up any greenhouse from Novem 
ber to January. Whether propagated by dividing the 
plant, suckers, or cuttings of the tops in spring, or laying 
the points of shoots in autumn, two things must be 
attended to — light rich soil, and stopping to make 
bushy, as much as you like, before but never after the 
first of July. Cineraria —the treatment of this family, 
as well as the former, has been previously given; all the 
varieties bloom well in the dark days of winter; for this 
purpose seed should be sown in April, and the plants 
grown on; or late flowering plants should be set or 
plunged in a shady border in May. For small plants 
the suckers should be taken off and potted singly in 
August; for large plants in six or eight inch pots, the 
plants should be raised, all the smaller suckers removed, 
the strongest left, the old soil shaken away, and repotted 
into good light rich compost, kept close at first and 
then exposed; and now they would be opening their 
trusses of bloom. Chinese primroses —these, for winter 
blooming, should be sown in April or May; for spring 
blooming August will do. They are not of much use, 
however, for nosegays, as the bloom will not stand after 
being cut. Very different is the double Chinese Prim¬ 
rose, whether white or crimson ; it may be had the most 
of the winter season, as was shown not so long ago, by 
propagating it by cuttings in April, May, or June. 
Tropceolum Lobbianum —this, from its long flower-stalks, 
small reddish flowers, and its abundant blooming, is 
valuable for cutting from December to April; propagate 
in May or June. 
8. We now arrive at our’ Previous Lists for cold and 
general greenhouses. A limited selection of winter¬ 
flowering Heaths has been lately given:— Epacris im- 
pn'essa, nivalis, pungens, &c., will now be coming into 
bloom. To have them early the plants should be cut 
down after flowering, and kept close until the fresh wood 
is making. Corrcea speciosa and all its brethren bloom 
in winter; Cytisus, Coronilla glauca, Acacia armata, 
spread out their golden blossoms during the cold wea¬ 
ther, and especially the two first. Azalea Indica, and 
especially alba, when kept closer than usual after it has 
done blooming, will make its wood earlier, and thus get 
into the habit, without any forcing, of opening its buds 
at Christmas, Camellias will do the same, with the 
